Makoto Fujimura – författare

From a widely celebrated artist, this dazzling book takes readers on a profound journey into the heart of creativity  When Makoto Fujimura painted as a child, he felt a mysterious electrical charge pass through him. Over decades of art making, writing, and reflecting in his studio, he has come to understand this charge as his Creator—a source he connects with most profoundly when making art. To be human is to be creative, Fujimura believes, and art making is a discipline of awareness, prayer, and praise by which we journey back to our original light.  In this book, Fujimura takes readers along on his meandering journey as an artist. We witness him making his “process-driven slow art”—using pulverized minerals, gold, or pigments made from oyster shell—as he considers the plants and wildlife on the land where he lives. He draws on Japanese aesthetics, modernist art, Christian theology, sado (art of tea), literature, ecology, and personal narrative, with inspiration ranging from William Blake’s poetry to the art of Mark Rothko and Josef Albers, and from the wisdom of Scripture and Japanese tea master Sen no Rikyū to the traditional Japanese painting technique called Nihonga.  Bringing together the author’s written reflections and his paintings, drawings, and photographs, Art Is invites us to see the world in prismatic and diverse lights, helping us navigate the fractured, divisive times we live in.

From a world-renowned painter, an exploration of creativity’s quintessential—and often overlooked—role in the spiritual life  “Makoto Fujimura’s art and writings have been a true inspiration to me. In this luminous book, he addresses the question of art and faith and their reconciliation with a quiet and moving eloquence.”—Martin Scorsese  “[An] elegant treatise. . . . Fujimura’s sensitive, evocative theology will appeal to believers interested in the role religion can play in the creation of art.”—Publishers Weekly  Conceived over thirty years of painting and creating in his studio, this book is Makoto Fujimura’s broad and deep exploration of creativity and the spiritual aspects of “making.” What he does in the studio is theological work as much as it is aesthetic work. In between pouring precious, pulverized minerals onto handmade paper to create the prismatic, refractive surfaces of his art, he comes into the quiet space in the studio in a discipline of awareness, waiting, prayer, and praise.  Ranging from the Bible to T. S. Eliot, Mark Rothko, and Japanese Kintsugi technique, he shows how, unless we are making something, we cannot know the depth of God’s being and God’s grace permeating our lives. This poignant and beautiful book offers the perspective of, in Christian Wiman’s words, an “accidental theologian,” one who comes to spiritual questions always through the prism of art.

What if the pursuit of justice requires more than activism? What if it also demands beauty?In a world marked by division and suffering, we face a critical challenge: how to pursue what is right without burning out or losing compassion along the way.In Beauty and Justice, justice advocate Haejin Shim Fujimura and internationally renowned artist Makoto Fujimura invite you to● discover how to sustain the slow work of justice through gratitude and generosity,● understand why justice without beauty can become harsh and ineffective, and● embrace practices for cultivating a "generative life" of courageous service.Through stories from their global work in the arts, advocacy, and cultural renewal, the authors reveal that beauty isn't a luxury--it's essential to effective, lasting justice work. Beauty has the power to heal, and justice becomes most compelling when it is truly beautiful.This book offers a bold invitation to partner with God in restoring what is broken and building a more beautiful future. It includes a four-color insert of artwork discussed in the book.

"Mako has a lot of wise things to say about beauty in this book . . . one point is worth emphasizing: Beauty refreshes. Beauty alters. Beauty is a revolution in outlook. That makes beauty both a potent balm and a potent provocation, especially in times like these." —from the foreword by David Brooks, New York Times columnist and author of How to Know a PersonOutreach Magazine Resource of the YearChristianity Today Book Awards—Award of MeritCultivate Practices That Care for the Soul of Our Culture"Culture is not a territory to be won or lost but a resource we are called to steward with care. Culture is a garden to be cultivated."We live in an era of cultural war and combativeness. But we all have a responsibility to care for culture, to nurture it in ways that help people thrive. In this second edition of Culture Care, internationally recognized artist Makoto Fujimura issues a call to cultural stewardship in which we become generative and feed our culture''s soul with beauty, creativity, and generosity, serving others as cultural custodians of the future.This is a book for anyone with a calling to create—from visual artists, musicians, writers, and actors to entrepreneurs, pastors, and business professionals—who wants to reach across boundaries with understanding, reconciliation, and healing. As creative catalysts, we can contribute to the shared culture that affects human thriving today and shapes the generations to come.What''s New in the Second Edition- Carries forth the call to steward and restore culture so that people and communities may thrive- A new introduction and additional content addressing the significance of culture care in an era of culture wars- New material on generative thinking and culture care as public theology- Enhanced with 15% more new content including real life stories and fresh insights to help deepen your understandingThis book also includes a study guide for individual reflection or group discussion. Culture care is about shaping culture by fostering beauty, cultivating understanding, and offering hope. If you want to learn how to engage with culture in a more meaningful way, read Culture Care and discover how to become a hopeful, generative contributor to the world around you. CultureCare is your invitation into a vision of cultural engagement rooted in beauty, restoration, and spiritual depth.

What if the pursuit of justice requires more than activism? What if it also demands beauty?In a world marked by division and suffering, we face a critical challenge: how to pursue what is right without burning out or losing compassion along the way.In Beauty and Justice, justice advocate Haejin Shim Fujimura and internationally renowned artist Makoto Fujimura invite you to● discover how to sustain the slow work of justice through gratitude and generosity,● understand why justice without beauty can become harsh and ineffective, and● embrace practices for cultivating a "generative life" of courageous service.Through stories from their global work in the arts, advocacy, and cultural renewal, the authors reveal that beauty isn't a luxury--it's essential to effective, lasting justice work. Beauty has the power to heal, and justice becomes most compelling when it is truly beautiful.This book offers a bold invitation to partner with God in restoring what is broken and building a more beautiful future. It includes a four-color insert of artwork discussed in the book.

From a widely celebrated artist, this dazzling book takes listeners on a profound journey into the heart of creativityWhen Makoto Fujimura painted as a child, he felt a mysterious electrical charge pass through him. Over decades of art making, writing, and reflecting in his studio, he has come to understand this charge as his Creatora "e;a source he connects with most profoundly when making art. To be human is to be creative, Fujimura believes, and art making is a discipline of awareness, prayer, and praise by which we journey back to our original light.In this book, Fujimura takes listeners along on his meandering journey as an artist. We witness him making his a process-driven slow arta a "e;using pulverized minerals, gold, or pigments made from oyster shella "e;as he considers the plants and wildlife on the land where he lives. He draws on Japanese aesthetics, modernist art, Christian theology, sado (art of tea), literature, ecology, and personal narrative, with inspiration ranging from William Blakes poetry to the art of Mark Rothko and Josef Albers, and from the wisdom of Scripture and Japanese tea master Sen no RikyA to the traditional Japanese painting technique called Nihonga.Bringing together the authors written reflections and his paintings, drawings, and photographs, Art Is invites us to see the world in prismatic and diverse lights, helping us navigate the fractured, divisive times we live in.

From a widely celebrated artist, this dazzling book takes listeners on a profound journey into the heart of creativityWhen Makoto Fujimura painted as a child, he felt a mysterious electrical charge pass through him. Over decades of art making, writing, and reflecting in his studio, he has come to understand this charge as his Creator-a source he connects with most profoundly when making art. To be human is to be creative, Fujimura believes, and art making is a discipline of awareness, prayer, and praise by which we journey back to our original light.In this book, Fujimura takes listeners along on his meandering journey as an artist. We witness him making his "e;process-driven slow art"e;-using pulverized minerals, gold, or pigments made from oyster shell-as he considers the plants and wildlife on the land where he lives. He draws on Japanese aesthetics, modernist art, Christian theology, sado (art of tea), literature, ecology, and personal narrative, with inspiration ranging from William Blake's poetry to the art of Mark Rothko and Josef Albers, and from the wisdom of Scripture and Japanese tea master Sen no Rikyu to the traditional Japanese painting technique called Nihonga.Bringing together the author's written reflections and his paintings, drawings, and photographs, Art Is invites us to see the world in prismatic and diverse lights, helping us navigate the fractured, divisive times we live in.